Emerging Natural Hydrocolloids

9 Espina Corona (Gleditsia amorphoides) Seed Gum

María J. Spotti¹, Martina Perduca², Paula Loyeau¹, Amelia Rubiolo^1,3 and Carlos Carrara¹

¹ National University of Litoral, Food Technology Institute, Chemical Engineering Department, 1 de Mayo 3250, 3000, Santa Fe, Argentina

² Universidad de la Cuenca del Plata, Engineering and Technological Faculty, Scientific Research Institute, Lavalle 50, 3400, Corrientes, Argentina

³ Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Industria Química, Biotechnology and Food Engineering department, RN 168, Km 0, 3000, Santa Fe, Argentina

9.1 Introduction

Espina Corona gum (ECG) is a galactomannan extracted from the seeds of Espina Corona (Gleditsia amorphoides), a leguminous tree native of Latin America. The area where it grows is in the north and center of Argentina, in the provinces of Salta, Jujuy, Chaco, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Santa Fe, Misiones, and Formosa. The tree also grows in neighboring countries like Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay [1]. The genus is Gleditsia, and the family is Fabaceae (Caesalpinioideae). In Argentina, two species of Gleditsia exist: (1) the Gleditsia amorphoides, which grows spontaneously in the north of Argentina, better known as Espina Corona, which means “thorn crown” in English, and (2) Gleditsia triacanthos, which was imported from the United States, better known as “black acacia.” The Gleditsia amorphoides tree was named after the thorn crown placed on Christ's head, the assumption being that the ...